Airship.



A. EXTRAND.

AIHSHIP.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-153M915.

Patented Apr. '3, 1917.

amsnrr.

Specification of ers Patent.

Patented Apr. 3, 191?.

Application filed August 19, 1915. Serial no. 46,363.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED EXTRAND, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Aberdeen, in the county of Chehalis and State of Washington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Airships, of which the following is a description.

The invention relates to improvements in airships of the lighter than air type and it consists in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, hereinafter described, pointed out in the appended claim, and illustrated by the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings, in which similar reference characters designate corresponding parts,

Figure l isa longitudinal sectional view of an airship embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the turntable carrying the forward propelling and steering mechanism. I

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view of the airship. I 4

Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of one of the buckets 'of the chain air-pump.

The hull of the airship is approximately of an elongated cylindrical shape with a flattened floor, and having a pointed stem and a rounded stern. The hull is divided longitudinally by the horizontal diaphragm 1, and that part above the diaphragm is subdivided by cross partitions 2 into the cells 3. In each one of these cells is a bag 4 of suitable material to hold the lifting fluid. This bag is attached, as at 5, to the ceiling of the cell to prevent its falling when collapsed. The mouth of the bag rests on the floor of the cell.

The fluid for lifting the vessel is preferably heated air, although other lighter than air gases may be used. In this instance the air inside of the bag 4 is heated by the burner 6 leading from the source of fuel supply 7 and mounted on the floor of the cell inside of the mouth of the bag. Extending'over the burner is the woven wire screen 8 to shield the ba from the flame when the bag is collapsed. y manipulating these burners the buoyancy of the vessel can be regulated.

Leading from the interior of the cell and also from the interior of the bag is the escape pipe 9 leading to a funnel l0 projecting below the vessel. This escape pipe is controlled by a valve 11, and permits the escape of the air and gases from the bag. This pipe also forms a safety vent, the valve being left open, should the expansion of air or gas within the bag become excessive. In the floor of the cell is the manhole 12 to give access to the interior of the cell and the bag therein. 7

That part of the hull of the vessel below the diaphragm 1 is divided by the longitudinal partitions 13 into the passageway 14 extending the entire length of the vessel, and the space on opposite sides'of the passageway is subdivided by the transverse partitions 15 into the air-chambers 16 and the state-rooms 17. Each state-room has a door 18 to give communication to the passageway 14. Pumps 19 are provided to force compressed air into the air-chambers to be used when the vessel reaches high altitudes. When needed the compressed air from the air-chambers is permitted to flow into the adjacent staterooms by any suitable arrangement of pipes and valves.

In the bow of the vessel is mounted the combined propelling and steering mechanism. In the forward part of the passage- -way lat is pivoted the turntable 20 provided with the concentric rack 21 with which engages the gear'22 on the shaft 23 having on its inner end the wheel 24. Mounted on the forward end of the turntable is the paddlewheel '25 with its upper half covered by the hood 26, and the lower half projects into the outside air. The paddle-wheel is driven by the motor 27 mounted on therear of the turntable. When rotated the paddle-wheel engages the outside air and propels the vessel forward. The steersman, by turning the wheel 24, can, move the turntable to change the position of the paddle-Wheel to guide the vessel. The steersman is protected by the bulkhead 28 extending across the passa eway in front of the steering wheel.

ocompress the air around the lower side of the paddle-wheel, auxiliary blowers 29 are provided. These blowers are mounted on the turntable so that their positions relative to the paddle-Wheel will always remain, the same. The purpose of these blowers is to compress or condense the air around the lower half of the paddle-wheel so that the latter will take a firmer grip on the air to propel the vessel.

Projecting from the stern of the vessel is the screw propeller 30 to aid in the propulsion.

As an" auxiliary aid in the ascension,

entism In an airship, a hull, a horizontal diaphragm extending longitudinally through the hull dividing the same into upper and lower compartments, transverse partitions extending across the upper compartment to subdivide the same into cells, means for filling the cells with a gas lighter than air, vertical longitudinal partitions extending along the lower compartment to form a as sage-way, transverse partitions subdivi ing the lower compartment on opposite sides of the passage-way into state-rooms and airchambers with each state-room communicating with an air-chamber, means for compressing air within the air-chambers, and means for controlling the communication between each state-room and its respective air-chamber to regulate the flow of compressed air from the latter to the former.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature. 7,

ALFRED EXTRAND. 

